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Portage, Michigan
—  City  —
Kalamazoo County Michigan Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Portage Highlighted
Location of Portage, Michigan
Coordinates: 42°12′35″N 85°35′19″W / 42.20972, -85.58861
Country United States
State Michigan
County Kalamazoo
Incorporated December 31, 1963
Area[1]
 • Total 35.17 sq mi (91.09 km2)
 • Land 32.23 sq mi (83.48 km2)
 • Water 2.94 sq mi (7.61 km2)  8.36%
Elevation 879 ft (268 m)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 46,292
 • Estimate (2012[3]) 47,126
 • Density 1,436.3/sq mi (554.6/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 49002, 49024, 49081
Area code(s) 269
FIPS code 26-65560[4]
GNIS feature ID 0635269[5]
Website City of Portage

Portage is a city in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 46,292 in the 2010 census. It is the smaller of the two main cities included in the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 326,589 as of 2010.[6]

Portage is adjacent to the southern boundary of the City of Kalamazoo. The city was incorporated from the entirety of the former Portage Township on December 31, 1963.

There are two public high schools in Portage, Portage Central and Portage Northern. The pharmaceutical company Pfizer also has manufacturing operations located there, which in recent years has caused much controversy due to layoffs. Stryker Corporation also has a large manufacturing presence in the city and is a world wide leader in medical equipment, instruments and imaging technologies. Portage is also home to FEMA Corporation, a growing hydraulic valve manufacturing company.

Portage is known for its extensive network of historical parks and trails used for cycling, walking, canoeing, and other recreational activities. Since the creation of the Portage Bikeway system in 1989, the trails have expanded to over 50 miles (80 km), over five times as long as the city’s expressways. Portage is also home to the Kalamazoo Air Zoo.

Geography[]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.17 square miles (91.09 km2), of which, 32.23 square miles (83.48 km2) is land and 2.94 square miles (7.61 km2) is water.[1]

Austin Lake is in the southeast part of the city and was named for Moses Austin, who had emigrated to Portage Township from Genesee County, New York in 1833. A settlement grew on the north shore of the lake, known as Austin or Austin Lake. A post office named "Austin's Lake" was established on May 18, 1850, with Moses Austin as postmaster, and operated until August 15, 1853. The place was also a station on the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad in 1867.[7]

Demographics[]

2010 census[]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 46,292 people, 19,199 households, and 12,426 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,436.3 inhabitants per square mile (554.6 /km2). There were 20,559 housing units at an average density of 637.9 per square mile (246.3 /km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.9% White, 4.9% African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.8% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population.

There were 19,199 households of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.3% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.98.

The median age in the city was 38.1 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.9% were from 45 to 64; and 13.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census[]

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 44,897 people, 18,138 households, and 12,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,394.2 per square mile (538.3/km²). There were 18,880 housing units at an average density of 586.3 per square mile (226.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.75% White, 3.73% African American, 0.30% Native American, 2.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.93% of the population.

There were 18,138 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,410, and the median income for a family was $61,285. Males had a median income of $42,377 versus $29,399 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,414. About 3.1% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

References[]

  1. ^ a b "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt. Retrieved 2012-11-25. 
  2. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml. Retrieved 2012-11-25. 
  3. ^ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html. Retrieved 2013-06-03. 
  4. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  5. ^ USGS GNIS: Portage, Michigan
  6. ^ Population of Michigan Regions and Statistical Areas, 2000 and 2010, at www.michigan.gov
  7. ^ Romig, Walter (1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1838-X. 

External links[]

Coordinates: 42°12′04″N 85°34′48″W / 42.20111, -85.58


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Portage, Michigan. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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